The US Economic View from the Bottom

The share of US residents turning to food stamps has risen in nearly every state nationwide in the past year even as unemployment has moderated.

Nearly 44.6 million Americans received food stamps in March, up more than 11% from the same time a year ago, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. And some 14.4% of Americans relied on food stamps in March, up 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier.

Also in March, single-family home prices dropped, dipping below their 2009 low, as the housing market remained bogged down by inventory and weak demand, a closely watched survey said Tuesday.

“This month’s report is marked by the confirmation of a double-dip in home prices across much of the nation,” David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Indices, said in a statement. “Home prices continue on their downward spiral with no relief in sight.”